Lead On
by Lillie Kapidaness
Summary: When Ginny Weasley leaves work early, she encounters a stranger at an outdoor cafe in Diagon Alley. Post-Hogwarts. Once shot fic.


Author's note: I don't own anything.   
  
It was a perfect September day. The air was warm and white clouds dotted the sky. Citizens of London were taking advantage of this beautiful weather before the crisp autumn winds would make their yearly appearance. Ginny Weasley knew these days would be gone soon and couldn't stand to be in her office another minute.   
  
Sitting at her desk, the words on the page Ginny was reading faded as her mind wandered. It was strange how life turned out. If someone told her when she was ten that she'd be working for the Ministry of Magic she'd have said they were insane. At age ten, all Ginny Weasley dreamed about was playing professional Quidditch and being married to the famous Harry Potter, her brother's best friend. Those girlish dreams had died long ago and in their place stood memories of war and destruction.   
  
It had been five years since Lord Voldemort had been defeated. Five years of rebuilding, mourning, and eventually healing. At the end of the war, Ginny had just finished Hogwarts. The Ministry was in shambles and thanks to the work of her father Arthur Weasley, newly elected Minister of Magic, and other faithful supporters it was time rebuild. There was no other path she wanted to take. The Ministry needed her and others to restore confidence and security to their community.   
  
Ginny wasn't the only Weasley to join the Ministry after the war. Her brother Ron, along with his best friends, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, worked to become the best Aurors in a century. Auror-training wasn't as taxing after being major players in the fall of Lord Voldemort. Ginny smiled as she thought of her brother. Their mother's current obsession was nagging Ron about setting a date, now that he and Hermione were engaged. They'd come a long way together. It was nice to see a happy ending for once.   
  
Naturally, Ginny's thoughts turned to Harry. She wondered what he was doing now. Two years ago, Harry asked to be transferred to the International division. According to Ron, Harry now lived in Prague and finally got what he'd been wishing for since he discovered he was the most well-known wizard in England at age eleven--anonymity. He hadn't been back since. Occasionally, Ginny would hear Ron telling the family how Harry was doing, but she never asked. That part of her life was over.  
  
Ginny closed the file on her desk. "This is useless," she thought to herself, "You're not getting anything done." She picked up her bag and pushed her chair in. It was Friday afternoon and the sun was out. It would practically be a crime not to skive off work. The paperwork wasn't going anywhere. It would still be waiting for her come Monday morning  
  
"Hey, Gin," her coworker, a 30ish man with sandy hair called out. "Where are you sneaking off to?" he asked.  
  
"It's a beautiful day and I intend to enjoy the rest of it," Ginny answered, "I suggest you do the same." And she walked out the door.  
  
"Mommy, can I have one! Can I. Please," a young witch begged her mother as they passed through the winding sidewalk of Diagon Alley.   
  
Ginny Weasley thought she must have heard at least a dozen children begging for this or that in the ten minutes she had been sitting at Andromeda's , a small outdoor cafe in Diagon Alley, while reading a book. She smiled wistfully at the thought of lugging her own brood around someday. At age twenty-two, Ginny was starting to hear the faint ticking of her biological clock. This sound usually disappeared after baby-sitting any of her nieces or nephews, but it still appeared at odd times, like today. Once upon a time, that family might have included dark-haired, green-eyed children. But those days were in the past. Her dreams shattered one peaceful afternoon two years ago.  
  
Ginny's attention returned to the present and the book before her. Before long, she felt as though someone was watching her. She continued reading but couldn't shake the feeling. Finally, Ginny looked to either side. All she saw were families enjoying the nice afternoon.   
  
"Oh, this is ridiculous," Ginny thought to herself. "Nobody is interested me reading a book." It was at that moment that she lifted her head and her heart stopped. It wasn't often that a girl looked up and saw a god walking toward her. It was one of those moments she'd always remember. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, around 6'2", dark close-cropped hair, and black sunglasses. This stranger exuded power despite his age. He wore ordinary jeans and black shirt, but his dragon-skinned boots and black leather coat spoke of wealth to go along with power, such as it often does.  
  
And he was now standing before her.  
  
"Can I sit," he asked.  
  
Ginny suddenly became too emotional to speak. She motioned for him to sit.  
  
She soon realized he wasn't talking so she blurted out, "I don't recall seeing you around here. You must be new to town." Mentally kicking herself, Ginny thought, "What an idiotic thing to say!"  
  
"I'm just passing through," he replied while smiling, "but from the looks of you I could see myself settling down here."  
  
Ginny sighed and pinched herself. Was she dreaming? Was there something in her coffee making her hallucinate? Ginny heard herself respond as she tried to hold back the tears threatening to spill, "The invitation's open. You look like someone I've been waiting along time for." It was as if her mouth was disconnected from her brain and attached to her heart.   
  
He abruptly stood and held out his hand. "Why don't we take this somewhere else were we can get to know this feeling a little better."  
  
"Lead on," Ginny answered as she gathered her belongings and followed him.  
  
Ginny stared at her companion as they sat eating in a cozy, dark muggle restaurant down the street from The Leaky Cauldron. They had been silent as they walked the short distance. Even now as they ate, the conversation was sparse. The silence was killing her. It was like there was a dragon in the room and nobody wanted to comment on it. This was ridiculous. She set down her fork and stared into her companion's eyes.  
  
"I had a love once, you know." Ginny didn't know where her courage was coming from. It must have been the Gryffindor in her emerging. She closed her eyes and continued. "He just up and left me one day."  
  
"I bet it broke your heart." He uttered as his green eyes bore into hers. "I had a love once, too, but I acted like such a damn fool. I'd do anything to be back in her arms right now."  
  
This time Ginny let the tears roll down her face as she took his hand and repeated the words she told him an hour ago, "The invitation's open." She lifted the hand she was holding and kissed his palm. "You look just like what I've been waiting on."  
  
He stared at her tenderly. His eyes yearning for what he threw away two years ago. "Why don't we take this matter somewhere else and pick up where everything went wrong," he said as he laid a wad of money on the table and rose to leave.   
  
"Lead on, Harry." The past wrongs weren't important right now. The whys and wherefores would be worked in their own time. All that mattered at this moment was that two lover's were once again reunited.  
  
As they walked through the streets of London, Ginny glanced up at Harry while holding tightly onto his arm. It wasn't perfect, but everything would soon be fine. She knew it with all her heart.  
  
"You know stranger," she said as they continued their stroll, "I don't recall seeing you around here. You must be new to this town."  
  
Author's Note: This is a take off on George Strait's song Lead On. I didn't come close to getting the emotion that the song emotes. Hopefully after I've left this story alone, I'll be able to go back and rework it. 


End file.
